Written and directed by Christopher H.K. Lee. The Korea Society and the Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY) co-present “Fading Away”, a documentary that showcases a series of never before told stories from a group of Korean War veterans and refugees through a series of insightful interviews and the use of rare historical film footage, photos and other archival material. “Fading Away” is unique not because of battle scenes, war photos, or visual recreations or reenactments – it is highly thought provoking because of the interesting, appealing, deeply emotional, and even disturbing stories told by its participants. The veterans and survivors share their stories in their own words with their sons, daughters, and grandchildren with memories of catastrophe, fear, and the pains they vividly remember, shaping a very original documentary film that will stand out from other traditional war documentaries forever. 2013, 95 mins.
Co-presented with Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY)
Fading Away
(95 mins, 2013)
Saturday, October 26, 2013
4.30 PM
Tickets available at the door, cash only.
Village East Cinema
189 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
The Korea Society and the Asian American Film Lab, working together to promote multi-cultural collaboration, are delighted to present Unfinished Works, a program that featuresperformances and a video installation that showcase Korean and Korean-American stories, writers, and themes. The evening’s selections will feature works by finalists Jae-Ho Chang, Aimiende Negbenebor Sela, and Chelsea S. Kwon.
Chang’s documentary, Ultimate Christian Wrestling, chronicles the struggles of a traveling pro-wrestling ministry as they confront the challenges of modernity; Sela presents a staged reading of her script, A Day in the Life of Who, which follows a Korean-American photojournalism student who confronts her own troubled past when she inadvertently documents the last day of a homeless woman’s life; while Kwon poses the question “What would you do if you unexpectedly found $30,000?” in her one-act comedy-drama, The Taste of Money.
Film Lab’s Unfinished Works coordinator, Lorna Nowve, will moderate the event in the Film Lab’s signature style, welcoming audience participation in the creative process and directing interaction with the writers and filmmakers. Don’t miss this opportunity to see amazing new talent—come and enjoy the show!
Tuesday, October 22 @ 7:00 PM
This is a free event, but please register in advance here. If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Pak or (212) 759-7525, ext. 321.
The Korea Society and the Asian American Film Lab, working together to promote multi-cultural collaboration, are delighted to present Unfinished Works, a program that featuresperformances and a video installation that showcase Korean and Korean-American stories, writers, and themes. The evening’s selections will feature works by finalists Jae-Ho Chang, Aimiende Negbenebor Sela, and Chelsea S. Kwon.
Chang’s documentary, Ultimate Christian Wrestling, chronicles the struggles of a traveling pro-wrestling ministry as they confront the challenges of modernity; Sela presents a staged reading of her script, A Day in the Life of Who, which follows a Korean-American photojournalism student who confronts her own troubled past when she inadvertently documents the last day of a homeless woman’s life; while Kwon poses the question “What would you do if you unexpectedly found $30,000?” in her one-act comedy-drama, The Taste of Money.
Film Lab’s Unfinished Works coordinator, Lorna Nowve, will moderate the event in the Film Lab’s signature style, welcoming audience participation in the creative process and interaction with the writers and filmmakers. Don’t miss this opportunity to see amazing new talent—come and enjoy the show!
Tuesday, October 22 @ 7:00 PM
This event will take place at The Korea Society.
This is a free event, but please register in advance here.
Serving wine by TIFFIN
If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Pak or (212) 759-7525, ext. 321.
Cello virtuosa Jiyoung Lee performs Bach’s Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, Crumb’s Sonata for Solo Cello, and Sibelius’ Theme and Variations. Lee, 25, began cello at age eleven and within five years was performing as a soloist with the Seoul Symphony Orchestra. Winner of the prestigious Korea Times Cello Competition and Ewha Press Competition, Lee performed with the Seoul National University Philharmonic Orchestra and recently won the Juilliard Schumann Concerto Competition. From the Sarasota Music Festival to Geneva’s Victoria Hall, she has charmed audiences with her “passion and sensitivity.” (The Times Herald-Record)
$10 Members, $20 Guests
Explorer/ YPN and above attend this program for FREE with REGISTRATION
5:30 PM | Registration
6:00 PM | Performance
For additional inquiries, please contact Nikita Desai or 212-759-7525×355.
Artist Chang-Jin Lee presents her artwork, Comfort Women Wanted, on the forgotten history of WWII-era Japanese military sex slaves, or “comfort women” as they were euphemistically known. Since 2007, Chang-Jin Lee has traveled to 7 different countries throughout Asia to interview Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Filipino, and Dutch “comfort women” survivors, as well as a former Japanese soldier, producing a video based on her interviews and creating a public art project. The public exhibition, on view around Manhattan through October 6, uses billboards, phone booth posters, prints, audio and multi-channel video installations to bring to light the memory of these 200,000 young “comfort women.”
Chang-Jin Lee, continuing to raise awareness of sexual violence against women during wartime, will discuss her research and art before screening her powerful video, Comfort Women Wanted.
The exhibition features wooden furniture made in the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) and includes furniture of a variety of functions and designs. Even though Korea is a relatively small country, each province has a distinctively different furniture design and decoration style. The exhibit will examine not only cultural characteristics, but also the different aesthetics and lifestyles of Korea’s regional society. All works are on loan from Koreana Art and Antiques.
September 19, 2013–January 28, 2014
Gallery Opening Thursday, September 19, 2013 6 PM
The Korea Society
Gallery Open Daily, M-F, 10 AM-5 PM
This program and the accompanying exhibit is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
Become a member and get to know Korea! Attend interesting talks on security and economic issues, explore Korean cuisine, and join a book discussion group or Korean pillow workshop this fall at The Korea Society!
Join through September and you’ll be entered in our membership raffle with fun prizes including:
A special thanks to allkpop and DramaFever for donating raffle prizes.
Launched in October 2007, allkpop.com has become the premier source for all the latest K-pop celebrity gossip and news. Catering to over 6 million monthly readers worldwide, and serving over 100 million page views per month, allkpop is the most trafficked English based K-pop news site in the world. allkpop works around the clock to be the first to deliver minute to minute breaking news, gossip, and the most exclusive coverage on the hottest K-pop stars.
DramaFever brings you the best Korean dramas and variety shows in English at DramaFever.com or on the DramaFever apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire. DramaFever is free to watch, and with a subscription to DramaFever Premium, you can enjoy watching with no commercial interruptions in high definition on all your devices!
The top Korean domestic film of 2000, Foul King is one of the earliest films of Kim Ji-woon, who most recently directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand. Starring Song Kang-Ho as an unproductive bank clerk suffering through the grind of his miserable 9 to 5 existence, he eventually finds an outlet for his frustrations by moonlighting as a professional wrestler. He is slowly transformed as he begins his second job as the cheating villain wrestler known as the Foul King.
Foul King, equal parts social commentary, comedy, drama, and sports action, is a great example of South Korean genre-bending, for which South Korean cinema is best known.
Members: Free | Nonmembers: $5
Tuesday, August 13
6:30 PM
The Korea Society 950 Third Avenue, 8th floor New York, NY 10022
Korean sinawi music originally accompanied propitiatory rites presided over by a female shaman, or mudang. The word sinawi is also synonymous with musical improvisation based on various rhythmic and melodic devices–the most important characteristic of this genre. This group of sinawi performed by five performers and varying instrumentation evokes the otherworldly sonic space of the shamanistic spirit realm. Dr. Ju-Yong Ha, a renowned ethnomusicologist, will provide historical context for the performances, shedding light on the tradition and its transition to the modern music world.
Made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Asian cinema is fast becoming a cinema without borders. Digital filmmaking and international coproductions are rapidly transforming an industry in which the transnational flow of talent and resources, even between the U.S. and Asia, has become the norm. In the monthly exhibition ContemporAsian, MoMA showcases films that get little exposure outside of their home countries or on the international festival circuit, but which engage the various styles, histories, and changes in Asian cinema. Presented in special weeklong engagements, the films in the series include recent independent gems by both new and established filmmakers whose work represent the rapidly transforming visual culture of the region. Not only are audiences given the rare chance to enjoy these undistributed films on the big screen—they also experience the diversity and richness of Asian cinema in all its many forms.
In August, Focus on South Korea, a special multifilm program, celebrates one of the most successful national cinemas on the global film circuit. The selections exemplify a flourishing, idiosyncratic cinema with plenty of international appeal, one in which filmmakers engage in a vivid critical analysis of social realities, explore subject matters rarely encountered in Korean films of the past, and confidently employ a wide variety of stylistic approaches.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
Monday, August 5
7:00 p.m.
National Security
Tuesday, August 6
4:00 p.m.
National Security
Wednesday, August 7
7:00 p.m.
National Security
Thursday, August 8
4:00 p.m.
National Security
Friday, August 9
4:00 p.m.
National Security
Filmmaker Present
7:00 p.m.
Azooma
Filmmaker Present
Saturday, August 10
1:30 p.m.
National Security
4:00 p.m.
White Night
7:30 p.m.
Sleepless Night
Sunday, August 11
2:00 p.m.
Sleepless Night
5:00 p.m.
El Condor Pasa
Filmmaker Present
All films in Korean with English subtitles
Azooma (Gongjeongsahoe) 2012 (74 min, T2)
Friday, August 9, 2013 @7:00 p.m. (Filmmaker Present)
Directed by Lee Ji-Seung. With Jang Young-nam, Ma Dong-seok, Hwag Tae-gwang. Frustrated by the apathy and utter incompetence of the police investigating her daughter’s rape and kidnapping, Azooma decides to take matters into her own hands—and mere imprisonment begins to seem an inadequate punishment. This unrelenting, fast-paced thriller unfolds in fragmented flashbacks, as Azooma adopts a policy of rogue justice—and puts her experience as a dental hygienist to sadistically satisfying use. In Korean; English subtitles. 74 min. Followed by Director’s Q & A with audiences.
National Security (Namyeong-dong 1985) 2012 (106 min, T2)
Monday, August 5, 2013 @7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013 @4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013 @7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 8, 2013 @4:00 p.m.
Friday, August 9, 2013 @4:00 p.m. (Filmmaker Present)
Saturday, August 10, 2013 @1:30 p.m
Directed by Chung Ji-young, With Park Won-sang, Lee Kyeong-yeong. Director Chung Ji-young is always keen on political injustice, and he uses the camera lense as a method of conveying the hidden truth. This film is based on the memoir written by the late Kim Geun-tae, a famous politician and the former Minister of Health and Welfare in Korea. He was a young leader of the pro-democracy movement during the military regime of the 80’s. Kim was captured, imprisoned, and tortured for 22 days at a specially designed facility located at Namyoung-dong on September 1985. This film mainly focuses on the torture itself, so most of the scenes have realistic torture description. It makes us realize how torture can easily destroy a human being physically and emotionally. Moreover, the film questions about the possibility of forgiveness. 2012, 106 min. Followed by Director’s Q & A with audiences.
El Condor Pasa (Kon-dol-eun Nal-a-gan-da) 2012 (101 min, T2)
Sunday, August 11, 2013 @5:00 p.m. (Filmmaker Present)
Directed by Jeon Soo-il. With Cho Jae-hyun, Bae Jeon-hua. “Who listens to confessions of priests and forgives them?” whispers Soo-hyeun to Father Park after learning about the “special” relationship he had with her recently murdered and molested younger sister. Veteran director Jeon’s eighth feature, a psychologically complex examination of guilt and forgiveness that extends far beyond the parameters of penance, renders the suffering of its main characters through beautifully austere images and a whitewashed color scheme reminiscent of the films of Michael Haneke. In Korean, English subtitles. 100 min.
White Night (Baek-ya) 2012 (75 min, T2)
Saturday, August 10, 2013 @4:00 p.m.
Directed by Lee Song-he-il. With Won Tae-hee; Lee I-Kyeong. After living abroad for two years, flight attendant Won-gyu returns to Seoul on a one-night layover seeking not just companionship, but revenge on the thugs who perpetrated a hate crime against him before he left the city. What begins as a simple sexual encounter with a young motorcycle courier evolves into a complex relationship, as the young men become lovers, friends, enemies, and strangers, all in the course of a single evening. Refusing both romanticism and neat closure, Lee opts for a subtle but frank approach and a minimalist aesthetic—managing to say a lot with very few words. In Korean; English subtitles. 75 min.
Sleepless Night (Jammotdeuneun Bam) 2012 (65 min, T2)
Saturday, August 10, 2013 @7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 11, 2013 @2:00 p.m.
Directed by Jang Kun-jae. A languorous chronicle of the daily—and nightly—routines of a thirty-something couple comfortably settled in their second year of marriage, Sleepless Night paints a refreshingly naturalistic portrait of intimacy. Dutifully working menial jobs during the day, the couple spends their evenings eating, talking, cooking, sleeping, arguing, and making love, all the while contemplating the pros and cons of procreation. Like any meaningful relationship, the film’s quiet power lies in the cumulative effect of the quotidian. Fittingly shot with an unobtrusive and unadorned lens, the film evokes plenty of sentiment without ever getting sentimental. Winner of the Grand Prize and Audience Award at the 2012 Joenju International Film Festival. In Korean; English subtitles. 65 min.
Monday, August 5 through Sunday, August 11, 2013
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) 11 West 53 Street, New York 10019 By Subway E, M to 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue or B, D, F to 47-50 Street Rockefeller Center.
